Fountain comb



""-nllll FOUNTAIN COMB Filed Feb. l0I 1950 E. H. MCCAIN ETAL May 29, 1951 INVENTORS @4f/V, .4005 E. NEAL,

Mmmm #M/dawg ATTORNEYS M H. w 4 W E Patented May 29, 1951 vFoUNrAm MB Edward H. McCain, Raleigh, and Claude E. Neal, Durham, N. C.

, "In Application February 10, 1950, Serial No.` 143,432

This invention relates to improvements in combs, and more particularly to a comb of the fountain type.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved fountain comb which may b e used for dispensing hair tonic, liquid hair lotion, Aor other hair treatment liquids, said comb being simple in construction, easy to operate, and being arranged to prevent waste of the hair treatment .liquid carried therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fountain comb which is compact in size, light in wieght, which linvolves only a few parts, which is easy to manipulate for opening and closing the'valve elements thereof, and providing a device for applying 'a hair treatment liquid 'to the hair while the hair isI being combed, the liquid being applied in an economical and eflicient manner.

Y Further objects and advantages of the invenltion will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, vwherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an improved fountain comb constructed in accordance with the present invention;

I y Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the fountain comb of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, vertical, transverse, cross-sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1; L vFigure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view ftaken on line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, detail view taken through, the air vent control means included with the valve-operating means of the fountain comb of Figures 1 to 4;

Figure 6 isa fragmentary, cross-sectional, detail View showing in enlarged proportions one of the needle valve elements and the valve seat therefor, as employed in the fountain comb shown in Figures 1 to 4.

Referring to the drawings, "II generally designates the'body of the comb, said body comprising a longitudinally extending reservoir I2 having secured to its longitudinal lower margin'the depending comb teeth indicated at I3 and I4. The teeth I3 are relatively closely spaced and are relatively small in cross-sectional area, whereas the teeth I4 are more widely spaced and are larger in size than the teeth I3. As shown in Figure 3 and in Figure 4, the bottom wall of the reservoirl2, shown at I5, is formed with spaced, vertical openings I6 which are located between adjacent teeth I4. Designated at I'I is a longi- 3 claims. (c1. 132-13) tudinally extending, Vertical plate member carried inside the reservoir I2, said plate member I'I having secured to its lower margin respective needle members I8 which extend sealingly and slidably through sealing bushings I9 secured in the lower lreservoir wall I5, said needle members engaging slidably in the vertical openings I 6. Secured to the intermediate portion of the top edge of the plate member Il' is an upwardly eX- tending, vertical tube 2i] 'which extends slidably through a sealing bushing 2'I secured in the top wall of the reservoir I2, as shown in Figure 4, a knob member 22 being secured to the top end ofthe tubular member 2Q. Tubular member 2D is formed with a pair of apertures 23 and 24, the aperture 23 being located at the lower portion of the tubular member, and the aperture 24 be- -ing located a substantialdistance above the aperture 23.

The spacing of the apertures 2f! and 23 is such that when the knob member 22 is raised, as shown in Figure 5, to a position wherein the needle members I8 are raised above their bushings I9 sufliciently to allow liquid to flow past the needle valves and through the openings I5, the upper vent aperture 24 is raised above its sealing bushing 2 I, as shown in Figure 5, to allow air to enter the reservoir through the tubular member 20.

The plate mem-ber I 'i is formed adjacent its respective ends with laterally projecting lugs 25 projecting on opposite sides of the plate member I'I, respective pairs of resilient guide plates 215, 26

being secured within the reservoir at opposite sides of the plate member I'I adjacent the respective projections 25. The plate members 26, 2B are formed with uppernotches 28, 28 and with lower notches 29, 29, the projections 25, 25 being received in the lower notches 29, 29 when the plate member Il is in its lower, valve-closing position, and the projections 25, 25 being received in the upper notches 28, 28 when the plate member I7 has been raised rto positions wherein the needle valves I8, I8 are in open relation with respect to their sealing bushings I9. The spacing between the shoulders 30, 3l) between the notches 28 and 29 of the plate members 2S is just suflicient to .allow passage therebetween of the projections 25, 25 when the plate member Il is moved either from its upper to its lower position, or from its lower position to its upper position. Since the plate members'26, 26 are somewhat resilient, the projections 25, 25 may make a very close fit between the shoulders 30, 30, inasmuch as the shoulders 30, 30 will yield to permit passage therebetween of the projections 25, 25.

One end wall of the reservoir I2, shown at 3I, is formed with a filling spout 32 provided with a threaded closure cap 33.

In using the device, the reservoir I2 is first filled with the desired hair treatment liquid, said reservoir having a capacity sufficient t receive enough liquid for use of the comb over an eX- tended period of time. When it is desired to apply the liquid, the button I2 is pulled upwardly from the position of Figure 3 to the position of Figure 5, whereby the needle valve elements I8 are raised to positions wherein their tapered end portions clear the sealing bushings I9 sufficiently to allow the liquid to flow downwardly through the vertical openings I6. Atthe'same'time, the tubular member 20 has been raised to a position wherein air may enter the upper portion of the reservoir I2 through the upper apertures 24, the tubular member 20 and the lower apertures-23m said tubular member. Under these conditions, the liquid may flow smoothly out through the bottom wall of the reservoir between the teeth I4 during the combing of the hair. The valve plate support member I1 is held in its raised position by the locking cooperation of the projections 25, 25 in the upper notches 28, 28 of the guide plates 26, 26.

To close off the outlet valves in the lower wall I5 of the reservoir, it is merely necessary to depress the button 22, moving the needle valve elements I8v downwardly into the sealing bushings I9 and into the openings I6, whereby said openings I5 are closed off, the valve plate support member I1 being held in valve-closing position by the locking cooperation of the projections 25, 25 in the lower notches 29, 29 of the guide plates 26, 26.

While a specific embodiment of a, fountain comb device has been disclosed inthe foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fountain comb comprising a hollow body, comb teeth secured to the bottom wall of said body, said bottom wall being formed withA vertical openings between certain of the 'comb teeth, a plate member slidably mounted forvertical movement in said body, depending needle valve members carried by said plate member and engaged in said openings, and a, tubular member secured to the upper portion of said plate member and extending slidably through the top wall of the body, said tubular member being formed with spaced apertures, one of said apertures being positioned adjacent the upper portion of said plate member and the other of said apertures being positioned adjacent the inner surface of the top wall of said body, the spacing of said apertures being greater than the thickness of the top wall of said body, whereby sliding upward vertical movement of said plate member will cause the other of said apertures to be exteriorly of the outer surface of the top wall of said body.

2. A fountain comb comprising a hollow body, comb teeth secured to the bottom wall of said body, said bottom wall being formed with vertical openings between certain of the comb teeth, a plate member slidably mounted for vertical movement in said body, depending needle valve members carried by said plate member and engaged in said openings, a tubular member secured to the-upper portion of said plate member and extending slidably through the top wall of the body, said tubular member being formed with spaced apertures, one of said apertures beingpositioned adjacent the upper portion of said plate member and the other of said apertures beingpositioned adjacent the inner surface of the 'top wall of said body, the spacing of said 1 aperturesbeingv greater than the thickness of the -top wall 'of said body, whereby sliding upward vertical movement of said plate member will cause the other of said apertures to be exteriorly of the outer surface of the top wall of said body, and interengaging locking means carried by the plate member and the body formed and arranged to releasably secure the plate member in any onev of a plurality of positions in said body.

3. A fountain comb comprising a hollow body, comb teeth secured to the bottom wall of said body, said bottom wall being formed with vertical openings between certain of the comb teeth, a plate member, guide plates secured in said body on opposite sides of said plate member, said plate member being vertically slidable between said guide plates, depending needle valve members carried by said plate member and engaged in said openings, a tubular member secured to the upper portion of said plate member and extending 4slidably through the top wall 'of the body, said tubular member being formed with spaced apertures, one of said apertures `being positioned adjacent the upper portion of said plate member and the other of said apertures being positioned adjacent the inner surfaceof the top Wall ofv said body, the spacing of `said apertures being greater than the thickness of the top wall of said body, whereby slidingupward vertical movement of said plate member lwill cause the other of said apertures to be exteriorly of the outer surface of the-top wall of said body, and interengaging locking means rcarried by the plate member and the guide plates formed and arranged to releasably secure the plate member in any one of a plurality of vertically adjusted positions in said body.

EDWARD H. MCCAIN.

CLAUDE E. NEAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date 790,857 Taaife'etA al. May 23, 1905 1,232,005 Cottle July 3, 1917 2,119,849 Kotsopoulos June .7, 1938 

